Method for preparing cadavers for burial



Feb. 25, 1941. c MOODY 2,232,862

METHOD FOR PREPARING CADAVERS FOR BURIAL Filed May 15, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet 1 7'0 Vein Tube Fly.

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Feb. 25, 1941. C, P, MOODY 2,232,862

METHOD FOR PREPARING CADAVERS FOR BURIAL Filed May 15, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet 2 j7E I ,4 J

7b Pam 514M162 Patented F eb. 25, 1941 PATENT OFFICE METHOD FORPREPARING CADAVERS FOR ,BURIAL Clay P. Moody, North Bend, Oreg.

Application May 15, 1940, Serial No. 335,357

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a method for aspirating fluid-holding portionsof the cadaver, such as the cavities and the venous system, wherein thevacuum or suction on the blood jar and vein tube is automaticallyperiodically interrupted or weakened by the admission of smallquantities of air at atmospheric pressure thereto, whereby aregurgitation takes place which causes matter tending to clog the trocaror vein tube to be cleared therefrom or broken up so that it will becarried thru to the blood jar or other means of disposition, and wherebythe suction is divided into pronounced surges of suction separated byperiods of non-suction or weaker suction, which periods allow for therecovery of the veins so that they may be continually aspirated withoutcollapsing them.

The principal objective of my invention is to do a better job ofembalming.

Another objective is to be able toaccomplish this with the equipment athand in every establishment for the preparation of cadavers for burial,that is, by being able to use ordinary trocars and vein tubes.

Another objective is the aspiration of the venous system of the cadaver.

Another objective is the aspiration of the venous system withoutcollapsing the veins thereof in the majority of cases.

Another objective is to be able to aspirate said venous system withouthaving to remove the vein tube, after it is once inserted in the veinand tied in, because of clogging, excepting possibly clogging because ofnon-yieldable obstruc- 35 tions in the blood stream such as due tothrombosis in which the thrombus is usually too hard and tough to bebroken up or too large to pass thru said vein tube.

Another objective is to be able to aspirate the 40 cavities of thecadaver without having to remove the trocar therefrom because ofclogging which occurs in a majority of cases.

Another objective is to be able to clear either the vein tube or trocarautomatically of yield- 45 able obstructions-that is without theattention of the operator or the manipulation of devices by him.

A further objective is to provide a continuous aspiration method andapparatus which may be used in conjunction with the so calledconstantpressure equipment now in general use which provides a blood jarupon which a constant vacuum or suction is maintained by said equipment.

Other objectives and advantages will come to light as I proceed with thedetailed description of my invention which is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

Fig. 1, of said drawings, is a plan view; Fig. 2, is a section on 2-2 ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on 3 of is a side elevation; and Fig. 5, 5shows a difierent valve-operating mechanism.

Thruout the drawings and specification similar numerals refer to similarparts.

' In a co-pending application, Ser. No. 308,681,

I have set forth a method and apparatus for as- 10 pirating the venoussystem wherein a. means such as a reciprocating pump is used to providepronounced surges of suction, with intervals of nonsuction therebetween,on the venous system.

In a patent to Alfred M. Peterson, 'No. 5 2,097,039, is described andshown a means to clear a trocar that has become clogged.

The application and patent, supra, are the nuclei of the improvementsset forth in this application.

The trocar of Peterson works fine in aspirating cavities. While sodoing, the operator is manually moving the trocar about in the cavity,and so having it in his hand, he may readily trip the valve to free thetrocar of an obstruction. 25 When the vein tube is once inserted it isnot moved about as is the trocar, hence it becomes necessary for theoperator to constantly watch the flow of blood so that he may remove thetube should it become clogged. If the trocar of Peter- 30 son wasadapted to be used as a vein tube it would still be necessary for theoperator to give constant attention so that he could trip the valveshould the device become clogged. It is very undesirable for an operatorto have to stand and constantly watch the device for the hour and onehalf or more that it usually takes to prepare a case. That hour and onehalf may be better employed.

The blood jar cap forms a convenient means on which to mount my device,but without illustrationit is readily apparent that the unit may bedetached or it may be mounted on the vein tube or trocar.

In the device set forth in my application, Ser. 5 No. 308,681, I haveprovided means which permit the vein tube to be inserted and tied intothe venous system and the artery tube to be inserted and tied into thearterial system of the cadaver. This device provides the spaced surgesof suction as .well as pressure. It also provides the means forautomatically periodically tripping the valve to admit air ,to the veintube or trocar. I have developed and used such a means. However, thisrequires a special rtrocar and a special vein tube.

The device of this present application requires no special trocar, nospecial vein tube, and no special means for providing the vacuumperiodically. In other words, any of the trocars or vein tubes now inuse may still be employed with the present device. I may use myreciprocating pump to provide the vacuum, I may use a water-operatedaspirator, in fact, I may use any of the constant-pressure means now inuse, as taught by 'Dwyer, 1,806,845, Grontkowski, 2,118,704, and others.

While I have used the rubber top provided for blood jars upon which tomount my device, I believe that a top made of some light stiff materialsuch as aluminum or Bakelite is better. I have shown such a top I on theblood jar 2 and a sealing ring 3 made of some soft material, as a rubbercompound, positioned between the top of the cap and the top of the jar.Whatever type of cap is used it should be air tight.

For the vacuum breaker or interrupter 4, I have found that any ofthosein commercial use as oscillatory wind-shield wiper operators aresuitable for use in my device. In specification I do not believe thatthis device need be specifically described or shown except as it may bechanged, altered, or arranged for the purpose employed.

The blood jar 2 is preferably made of glass so that the results of theoperation of the device may be always in view. The device 4 is securedto the top of the cap I by the screws 5. The usual swipe is removed andin its place upon its oscillating shaft 6 is mounted the arm 1 into thetop of .which is screw-threaded a ball-headed terminal 8. A cross 9,which serves as a valve-containing means, is positioned above theterminal 8 and is supported by the plate [0, thru which the bottomportion ll of the vertical run of the cross projects, secured to the topof the device 4 by the screws 12. From this bottom portion or leg II isextended a ball-headed portion or terminal l3 formed on the end of thevalve stem M. This valve stem I4 is slidable in the bearing IS in thebushing l6 whose upper end is formed as a seat ll against which theannular enlarged portion MA of the valve stem [4 may be seated. Thisbushing i6 is counterbored to form an annuiar chamber "I 8 about saidvalve stem M whereby air at atmospheric pressure may enter .thru thepassage or inlet 19 and flow thru the valve 20, formed by the enlargedportion MA and its seat vI'l, to the blood jar 2 and to the vein tube(not shown). The upper end 14B of the valve stem is slidable in thebearing 2| formed by counterboring the bottom of the plug 22screwthreaded into the upper leg 23 of the vertical run of the cross 9.This plug 22 is turned down to form an annular chamber 24 about itslower portion. This chamber 24 is connected with the counter-boredbearing 2| by the passage 25 so that air entrapped in said bearing mayescape and not impede the free movement of said valve stem as it israised by operative engagement of the terminals 8 and I3. Between theenlarged portion MA and the bottom of the plug 22 is positioned a coilcompression spring 26 to insure the return of said portion to its seatII! when the terminals are out of operative contact. The leg 2! of thehorizontal run of the cross 9 is provided with a plug 28 screw-threadedtherein to seal said leg. The opposite leg 29 is connected to the leg'30 of the horizontal run of the T 31 by the nipple 32. The branch 33 ofthis T 31 is connected to the blood jar 2 by the nipple 34 which extendsa short distance into the interior of thejar and is tightly fixed in thecap I to be air tight therein and to serve as a support for the T 3|.The opposite leg 35 of the horizontal run of the T 3| is provided with atube end 36 over which is slipped the end of a rubber tube 31 on theother end of which is the vein tube A, or trocar, the vein tube beingshown.

The device 4 is operated by the vacuum maintained in the blood jar 2.Its valve apparatus 4A (not shown in detail) is connected to the sourceof vacuum. In the instant case, this valve apparatus 4A is connected bythe rubber tube 38 to the leg 39 of the horizontal run of the T 40 whosebranch 4| is connected to the leg 42 of the vertical run of the T 43 bythe nipple 44. The opposite leg 45 of said run of the T 43 is connectedto the blood jar 2 by the nipple 46 which extends a short distance intothe interior of the jar and is tightly fixed in the cap I to be airtight therein and to serve as a support for the T 43. The branch of saidT 43 is provided with a tube end 41 over which is slipped the end of therubber tube 48 whose other end is connected to the pump B or other meansfor supplying the vacuum, no detailed means being shown. The leg 49 ofthe horizontal run of the T 40 is provided with a bushing 50screw-threaded for the reception of the shank 5| of a needle valve 52adapted to be advanced to throttle the admission of air to the valveapparatus 4A by turning the handle portion 53 on the end of said shank5| exterior of said T 49, whereby the speed of the valve apparatus 4Aand incidently the oscillation of the arm 1 may be regulated as desired.I find a speed of approximately 20 complete oscillations of the arm I tobe satisfactory in practice. In other words, the vacuum is interruptedor weakened approximately 40 times per minute. I find that the airadmission interval best suited to be short and fast so that the joltsare quick and pronounced. Although suction on the jar may be constant itis broken up into pronounced surges of suction separated by intervals ofreduced or weakened suction therebetween, which action, as disclosed inmy co-pending application, Ser, No. 308,681, permits of the venoussystem being aspirated without collapsing the veins, whereby I have beenable to aspirate approximately 95% of the blood, thus permitting a morecomplete distribution of the embalming fluid which makes for a betterjob. At the same time that this vacuum is being interrupted, the veintube, or trocar, is being cleared of any obstruction. In addition to theway air must be admitted, just the right amount must be admitted. Thismay be regulated to the machine or the implements employed by it byadjusting the terminal 8.

Commercial vacuum-operated oscillators as the device 4 take many formsand hence many arrangements of parts may be effected without departingfrom the basic idea. Other means, such as mechanical and electricaldrives may be used to either rotate or oscillate the arm 7, however, Ibelieve that the vacuum drive to be the best and most easily regulatedto conditions. It requires no outside sources of power for operation orequipment that is in the way.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a gear 54, which may be spring-operated as inany clock mechanism, driving the pinion 55 on the shaft 56 on which thearm I is mounted for rotation.

As is well known to all versed in the art, steam, water, or air, may beutilized to effect a suction which would be similar to that efiected bya rotary or gear pump or compressor, or in other words a steady suctionas distinguished from the suction produced by my reciprocating pump.

In the preferred form of my invention which I have illustrated, theblood jar is in the suction line. This would not be necessary as when anaspirator is employed for the suction means since the blood does notpass thru parts that might be clogged or not easily cleaned. It is to benoted that the blood does not pass thru, nor can it get into, the valvesor other moving parts of my device.

In view of the foregoing I do not limit my invention to the specificforms shown or described but extend it to all that comes fairly withinthe scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a method for preparing a cadaver for burial wherein a withdrawalmeans is inserted into fluid-holding portions of said cadaver whichcomprises, imposing a suction on the withdrawal means to create a columnof fluid, and automatically periodically admitting air to said column todivide the suction into pronounced surges separated by periods of weakersuction whereby to aid in clearing yieldable obstructions which may bedrawn into the withdrawal means.

2. A method of preparing a cadaver for burial which comprises imposing asub-atmospheric pressure on the venous system of said cadaver to causefluid to flow therefrom and automatically periodically admitting air ata greater pressure to cause a regurgitation in the flow whereby to aidin preventing collapse in said system and in breaking up yieldableobstructions therein.

CLAY P. MOODY.

